Bluebird expert says habitat is key to putting up a successful bluebird house

Gary Waltz/The Post-StandardJohn Rogers, of Brewerton, takes a look inside on of his bluebird houses off Route 31 in the Town of Clay.

John Rogers said this is a good time of year to set up an Eastern bluebird house.

“The key is proper habitat,” the Brewerton resident said. “I’m talking semi-rural areas with a scattering of trees. That is the perfect habitat. You won’t get them in downtown Syracuse.”

Rogers, 60, a retired banker, is the co-founder of the New York State Bluebird Society and gives educational presentations on bluebirds all the across the eastern half of the country. His talks particularly resonate in New York, where the bluebird is the official state bird.

He got hooked on bluebirds as a high school student and says that throughout the years he has personally “fledged” some 12,000 bluebirds from his numerous boxes. Fledging involves monitoring and taking steps to secure the safety and health of the baby birds from the time they’re eggs to when they finally fly away from the nest.

“I once monitored more than 500 boxes a year,” he said, “I’m currently watching over about 250.”

He talked this week about his love for bluebirds and the do’s and don’ts for setting up a bluebird house.

First off, what’s the deal with you and bluebirds?
I just feel they’re very beautiful and worth preserving. Setting up and monitoring a bluebird bird house is something an amateur like myself can do very easily and in the process make a very positive contribution to conservation.

Kevin Berner / AP
Bluebirds often need help in establishing a successful nest. A male bluebird is pictured here.

Meet John Rogers The Bluebird ManBrewerton resident John Rogers, co-founder of the New York State Bluebird Society, says now is the time to start putting up bluebird boxes. Rogers, 60, has personally fledged some 12,000 bluebirds since he began putting out bird houses teen. And there's more than just putting them up. He said they need to be monitored at least every two weeks. Video by Gary Walts.

Why can’t these birds fend for themselves?
They’re cavity nesting birds. They only nest in holes of dead or rotting trees. However, there’s a shortage of these natural nesting sites now. Non-native, invasive species — specifically, starlings and house sparrows — are taking over these cavities. That’s the main reason why bluebirds have declined in numbers during the past 50 years.
You mentioned that house sparrows are particularly nasty. Why?
They destroy the bluebird’s nest and eggs and tend to take over the nest for themselves.

Describe the ideal bluebird nesting box.
You should have a hole no bigger than about 1½ inches. That will keep the starlings out. I also recommend an extended, over-hanging roof of at least 5 inches. That helps keep the raccoons and the rain out.

I also recommend setting your box up on a metal pole in the open at least 5 to 6 feet off the ground. It should be that high to keep cats out. Don’t nail it to a tree. You’ll have more problems with earwigs and other insects, along with making it easier for predators to get in.

Finally, you should be able to easily open and shut the front so you can easily monitor the nest.

Monitor it? And do what?
I recommend checking in on things every one to two weeks. If a house sparrow has taken it over and set up a nest or laid some eggs, clear out the nest and destroy the eggs. It’s the touchy part of all this, but these birds are not protected. All I will say is that you should humanely dispatch them.

Second, if there’s a paper wasp nest inside, clear it out. I like to squash them with a spatula. Don’t spray any chemicals inside the box. That’s a no-no.

Finally, blowflies tend to get inside and lay their eggs in bluebird nests. When the eggs hatch, the larvae (maggots) tend to attach themselves to the baby birds. A large number of them on a baby bird can weaken and kill it. If you find a large number in the nest, remove as many maggots as you can by hand.

But if you happen to touch the baby birds in the nest, won’t the mother abandon them?
That’s an old wives tale. First off, birds have an extremely poor sense of smell. The adult birds bond with their nest and young. They will not abandon their babies.

Can I set up just one nest? Will that work?
Probably not. If a tree swallow doesn’t take it over, there’s a good chance a house sparrow will. I recommend setting up at least two houses, preferably 6 to 12 feet apart. That way one will be taken by a tree swallow, which will not let any other tree swallow set up a nest nearby.

The tree swallows, which are very territorial, will sometimes work to keep the house sparrows away from both bird houses. However, tree swallows will allow a pair of bluebirds to take over the other house. I’m not sure why, but that’s just what happens.

Is this the best and only time to set up a bluebird house?
They lay eggs twice a season. Their first nesting is in April and May, with a second nesting in June and July. They average three to six eggs each time. The eggs, which are small and a beautiful blue color, hatch in about 13 to 14 days. The young leave the nest in about 17 to 21 days, depending on the weather.

How old do these birds get?
The average life span is two to three years. If you get one over six years, that’s an old bluebird.